GIDEL: Brooks looking at Palmetto State

March is always an interesting time in football recruiting. Staffs across the country set their strategy and the seed for the coming year's recruiting battles.

March is always an interesting time in football recruiting. Staffs across the country set their strategy and the seed for the coming year's recruiting battles.

Showing a true contrast in styles, Louisville has decided to try and push their recruiting efforts out-of-state earlier, thus getting a head start on the competition across the country while their name is still hot. Kentucky, on the other hand, has decided to move at a much more selective pace out-of-state, choosing to make inroads with kids whom they might have a better shot at come next February.

Because of this strategy, this year's early crop of out-of-state scholarship offers is few and far between for the moment but continues to multiply each passing week. One thing's for certain; despite Joker's absence at recruiting coordinator, the staff remains committed to finding talent in South Carolina.

As reported two weeks ago on Kentucky Sports Report, the Wildcats have extended a scholarship to Columbia (SC) native B.J. Phillips. Phillips, at 6-foot-6, has a very live arm and terrific feet. His recruitment, depending on his performances in the summer camp, will more than likely mirror Bill Stull's from a year ago with similar ‘mobile quarterback searching' schools bracing the list.

"B.J.'s a very physical kid," Spring Valley High School coach Jimmy Noonan told KSR. "He's got all the tools to be a big time quarterback. He's right at 6'6 and 230 pounds right now, but he was our team's leading rusher from a year ago, so he's not your typical big quarterback. He ran a 4.78 at the Nike camp last year, so that gives you an idea of what type of athlete he is."

The Wildcats have continued its pursuit in the Palmetto state, offering Greenville (SC) wide receiver Marckus Boswell and Anderson (SC) cornerback Ameer Salahudin as early as last week.

Boswell, the star receiver from Greenville High School, was offered a scholarship from Brooks and Co. at last summer's 7-on-7 camp at UK. Today, it still lingers as his only scholarship offer to this point.

"Kentucky is the only school that offered me," Boswell confirmed to Scout.com's Miller Safrit, "and they are going to let me play, and they said I can play both basketball and football."

Despite being considered one of the best players in the state, Boswell's height has left the ‘big guns' on the outside looking in for the time being. He's impressed by Kentucky and likes the prospects of playing early – something he considers to be a major factor in his decision. "Whoever lets me come in and play my first year," Boswell told Scout.com, "that's what I'm looking at. I want to play."

Salahudin is from T.L. Hanna High School, the former home of current UK freshmen running back Rafael Little and Radio, the man whom inspired the movie several years ago. Unlike Boswell, Salahudin currently boasts offers from NC State, Clemson and Maryland, in addition to the ‘Cats. That may be an early indication of what might be to come for the talented athlete and skilled defensive back, who could be among the top players at his position before the end of the summer.

Salahudin is hoping to be in attendance for UK's spring game. Until then, he'll continue to hear from UK's Little. "I talk to Rafael (Little, former Hanna running back and Kentucky freshman) and Brent (Copeland, former Hanna quarterback) about the recruiting process and they help me out a lot," Salahudin told Scout.com's Miller Safrit yesterday.

After losing out on talented running back Mike Davis a year ago, we can only hope he's as able to listen to Kentucky as Rafael was.